Bob Prestera of Richmond and his sister Mary Anne ''Kitty'' Cline of Houston show off their father's fraternity ring, which was recovered after the plane crash depicted in the film We Are Marshall.

Bob Prestera of Richmond and his sister Mary Anne ''Kitty'' Cline of Houston show off their father's fraternity ring, which was recovered after the plane crash depicted in the film We Are Marshall.

Photo: James Nielsen, Houston Chronicle

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Family puts stamp of approval on film We Are Marshall

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Huntington, W.Va., is 1,200 miles away, but these days, it couldn't be closer for the Prestera family of Houston and Richmond. The film We Are Marshall, based on the plane crash that killed 75 people — including their father — opens today.

It's hard to overstate the crash's impact on the college town of Huntington. Those who died included players and coaches on the Marshall University football team and community members such as Michael Prestera, an enthusiastic fan of and fundraiser for local college athletics.

"We lost our dad, but so many of our friends lost both their parents," says his son, Bob Prestera.

Bob was 18 and his sister, Kitty, was 15 when their father died. He was 61.

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Kitty and their mother, Nancy, had just met up with him at the airport. He had flown back to Huntington from a business trip and didn't have time to repack, so they brought him a change of clothes.

Back home, Nancy, who had a hobby of listening to the police scanner, heard about the crash. Stricken and confused, she went to find Bob and Kitty. Her children turned on the television to confirm the news, then raced to the hospital.

Bob, now 54, can't recall many details of the day. But he describes the scene at the hospital as a "sea of humanity." He also can't forget the folks who made life just a little more bearable in the minutes and days that followed: pharmacist Bob Hickman, who wrapped him in a fierce hug; city manager Ed Ewing, who aided in the body identification process; dean Robert Alexander, who refused to let him drop out of Marshall.

"All those people that were on that plane, they were very close-knit," says Kitty, whose full name is Mary Anne Cline. "They worked to build the community and Marshall."

Nancy Prestera searched for solace and humor after the tragedy. "Mom had said, 'As bad as this is, always remember something good comes out in the end,' " her son recalled. Your dad was "old-school, Italian, Type A," she told them — he wouldn't have aged gracefully.

"He could bring you to tears with the sound of his voice," Bob adds.

But he was a good provider who gave them an easy, idyllic childhood.

"He instilled in you to be helpful, to work hard," Kitty says.

If you saw him pull up the driveway, you had better be busy doing something useful.

Bob Prestera, who works in medical sales, moved here 25 years ago and lives in Richmond with his wife, Kathie, another Marshall grad. The couple have three children: Michael III, Paul and Katie.

Kitty lives in Houston. Two other siblings, Michele Craig and Michael Prestera Jr., remain in Huntington and were extras in the movie, along with two of Craig's daughters.

The family has watched the movie; some members have seen it multiple times. It wasn't "too Hollywood," they said, approvingly.

Their father didn't attend Marshall, but work brought the college-sports lover to Huntington, and he was a "bloom where you're planted" type of guy, his son says.

Prestera also was elected to the West Virginia legislature prior to his death. "He was just really hugely civic-minded," Bob says.

"Anybody that needed help with fundraising, they always came to him," Kitty adds.

After the crash, Bob lost interest in school. The faculty at Marshall wouldn't hear of it. They pushed him to finish.

Nancy also dangled a prize before him: If he graduated, she would give him the ring his father was wearing when the plane crashed. It was recovered from the wreckage.